Protective hat-brim cushion



q 1940. L. JACOBS 2,214,637

-PROTECTIVE HAT-BRIM CUSHION Filed Sept. 26. 1938 INVENTOR LOBZZJJZE/OBS ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i y 3 Claims.

-My .present invention relates generally to the packaging and support of hats, and has particular reference to a protective hat-brim. cushion.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a, convenient. and inexpensive means for protectively shielding. a hat brim from the undesirable-.efiects of direct. contact with an annularhat support, especially of the .type customarily used in, supported a new hat or hats in a box. i6 While I have herein illustrated, and shall hereinafter describe, my invention as it relates to the packaging of hats, nevertheless it will be understood that the invention may have wider applicability to the broader art of supporting hat, for example,.for display or other purposes. When a. new hatis packaged,.it is customary to support, it, in inverted position, on the upper edge of a substantially cylindrical ring or support, usually of cardboard or the like, the crown of the hat an. extending downwardly into the supporting ring, andwthe weight of the hat'beingborne by the brim along .the; region closely adjacent to the crown. Inv many cases it is customary to pack three or more hats in a single box, in which event the cardboard supporting ring for each upper hat being rested directly upon the brim of the hat beneath it. As a result of this custom, it frequently happens that the brim of a new hat may become indented, or otherwise impaired, as a result of the localized pressure that is exerted upon the brim wherever. the brim comes into direct .contactwith one of the cylindrical supports. -.It-is a specific object of the present invention to provide a protective device which will shield a hat brim from such direct contact.

Inwthe preferred embodiment of my invention the protective device is composed of relatively inexpensive material such as paper, and it consists, briefly, of a ring which is removably applicable to the hat brim. The ring is composed at least partially of relatively small cushiony material such as creped paper. Briefly, the ring consists of a sheet of uncreped paper and an adhesivelyheld superposed layer of soft creped paper.

In accordance with my invention, the inner edge of the ring is divided by a series of substantially radial slits into a series of independently yieldable tongues, thereby permitting this inner edge to conform itself more readily to the juncture between the hat crown and the hat brim. These independently yieldable tongues also facilitate the application of the protective ring of the crown of the hat, the tongues adjusting themselves to the particular size and shape of the crown.

I achieve the foregoing objects and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear or be pointedout in the manner illustratively shown. in, theaccompanying drawing in which' Figure 1 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view through, a box in which a series of hats are sup- 5: ported with the aid of the present cushioning devices, a

Figure '2 is a perspective: view of a protective cushion of the present character,

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken-substantially along the line 33 of Figur 2, and

.Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the protective ring may be applied over the crown of the hat.

In the box Ill, which may be of substantially cylindrical cardboard construction, I have shown the usual cardboard 2 or cylinder ll upon which a hat i2 is supported in inverted position. The lower rim of thesupport l'l rests uponthe base [3 of the box II), the crown of the hat is accommodated within the support I l, and the weight of the hat is concentrated upon the brim I4 in the region, adjacent to the juncture between. the ha crown andthehat brim. :I

In the assembly shown, a second supporting tube I5 is mounted upon thehat brim I 4, this tube or cylinder serving to support a second hat [6. ,A portion of the third supporting tube. I! has been shown in Figure 1, and. it will be understood that any desired number of hats may thus be accommodated within a single container.

In order to shield the hat brim from direct con-. tact with the supporting tubes; a protective'ring of the character shown in Figure 2 is. employed. While I refer to this. device as a ring it will be understood that it is preferably of elliptical shape toconform substantially to the shape of the usual hat.

This protective ring, designated by the general reference numeral 18, is preferably composed of a layer or ply IQ of uncreped paper, and a layer or ply 20 of soft creped paper. The latter layer may itself be built up of a multiplicity of thin superposed layers of soft creped paper. Where the device is thus composed of superposed layers of paper, it is preferably held together as a unit by any suitable adhesive means, although it will be understood that my invention is not necessarily restricted to the use of such connecting means.

The inner edge 2| of the ring is divided by the substantially radial slots 22 into a series of independently yieldable tongues 23.

When the device is used, as for example in packaging hats in the manner shown in Figure 1,

the ring is applied over the hat crown in the manner shown in Figure 4, the arrows 24 designating the direction in which pressure is exerted upon the ring to force it downwardly into superposed relation to the hat-brim, During this application of the ring, the tongues 23 yield independently and permit the device to adjust itself properly to the particular hat upon ,which the ring is being mounted.

After the ring is in position, the hat is inverted and applied to the support I I, as shown in Figure 1. It will be observed that the cushioning ring I8 serves to shield the brim I4 from direct contact with the upper edge of the tube II.

Where a single hat is thus supported in a box, no further cushioning rings need be used. If, however, additional hats are to be supported, then a second cushioning ring is applied'directly to the exposed upper surface of the brim I4 in order to underlie the tube l5 which is thereupon mounted in position. This procedure is repeated until the desired number of hats is supported. As a result, each hat brim is adequately cushioned, both from below and from the top, to guard and protect it against undesirable direct contact with the annular hat supports. 7

If desired, it is obvious that two or more protective rings may be used in superposed relation, wherever a cushioning effect is desired. I

In general, it will be understood that changes in the details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention, m'ay be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

To serve its intended purposes, the dimensions of the central opening in the member [8 and of the width or diameter of the member [8 are such that the member will be associated with the hat positionally as shown in Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing. As hats come in various sizes, I have found that this purpose can be effected substantially by classifying hats for example into three sizes, and therefore providing three different sizes of cushioning members. a

An important feature of the invention is that the predetermination of the parts of the cushioning member will cause the parts to assume the position and spatial relationship shown in these figures. The yieldability of the tongues 23 and their position shown in Figurev 4, provides not only for adjustability, but also for an appropriate relationship with both the brim and the crown of the hat.

Another feature to which reference again will be made is the character of the material employed to make the band [8, which is such that the band in effect is not only soft, pliable and flexible, but has not sufficient body to retain any predetermined form so that it will readily conform itself to any contours with which it is associated.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with a hat having a crown with a brim, a soft readily yieldable protective ring removably applicable over the hat crown into a position to seat on the brim alongside the crown, said ring comprising a plurality of layers of which the lowermost brim engaging layer is of a crepe or felt like material whereby a non slipping engagement with the upper surface of the hat brim is effected, said ring having its inner edge inwardly and radially slitted to provide inwardly projected fingers whereby the finger can be bent in yieldable engagement with the crown to hold the ring in its predetermined protective relation to thebrim.

2. For use with a hat having a crown with a brim, a soft readily yieldable protective ring removably applicable over the hat crown into a position to seat on the brim alongside the crown, said ring comprising a plurality of layers of which the lowermost brim engaging layer is of a crepe or felt like material whereby a non slipping engagement with the upper surface of the hat brim is effected, said ring having its inner edge inwardly and radially slitted to provide inwardly projected fingers whereby the finger can be bent in yieldable engagement with the crown to hold the ring in its predetermined protective relation to the brim, and the portion ofthe ring which engages the brim being imperforate.

3. For use in the packaging or storing of hats of the type which comprise a brim and a crown and in which the brim is engaged underneath by a supporting separator, a protective pad having an opening of a size sufficient to receive the crown therethrough, the material bordering said opening being slitted radially inwardly of its edge, said pad being adapted to be seated on the brim por- I 1 55 LOUIS- JACOBS. 

